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Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing

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Vegetables for Vegetable Broth

One of my daughters, Brittany, has been a committed vegetarian since she was 12 years old. It began with eating the top part of tacos while leaving the meat at the bottom untouched and with eating everything on her plate except for the meat. I asked her, very matter of factly, about it one day – not wanting to make a mountain of what may have been a molehill.

Spoiler alert – it was not a molehill.

She adorably told me, “I don’t want to ever eat anything that once had a face.” I told her that it was her decision to make and that I was on her side. If she didn’t want to eat anything that once had a face, no one… and I mean no one… was ever going to make her.

I read up on protein,vegetarianism, health concerns AND benefits, etc. We became black bean burger experts and, truth be told, the whole family surely benefited from the increased veggies in the kitchen. I made certain then and I make certain now that anything I cook for her doesn’t contain any ingredients that… well… once had a face.

One of the biggest areas of concern (for me anyway as a cook) has been replacing chicken broth in the food I make for her. It adds SO MUCH FLAVOR! Store-bought vegetable broth simply cannot compare. That’s why I prefer to make my own vegetable stock to use for her dressing at Thanksgiving. She’s a huge, huge, huge fan of garlic and flavorful herbs, so I can add those in and give her the layers of flavor she loves.

And no faces.

The recipe below really isn’t a recipe as much as it is a technique because it’s so customizable. If you’re using a vegetable broth for soup or stew, you might want to leave out the sage and replace it with thyme or basil. However, for Thanksgiving stuffing, don’t dare leave out the sage.

While I’ve said (in the recipe below) to simmer for 30 minutes, I actually turn the heat down and simmer for longer. Why? I love for the kitchen to smell like Thanksgiving! Naturally, you can’t simmer too long, however, or your broth will cook away. The house will smell like Autumn Heaven, but you’ll be left with a tablespoon of broth.

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Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing

Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1 large Sweet Onion
  • 2 cups Chopped Celery
  • Celery tops
  • 20 Baby Carrots (halved or left whole)
  • 9-10 Cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Twig of Rosemary
  • Twig of Thyme
  • 3 Sage Leaves
  • 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 8 Cups Water

Instructions

  1. Clean and chop (coarsely) the vegetables.
  2. Heat EVOO in a soup pot.
  3. Add vegetables and herbs to the EVOO and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Add salt and water. Bring to a boil.
  5. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes (uncovered).
  6. Strain and throw out (or eat!) the vegetables.
  7. Store your broth in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Vegetables for Vegetable Broth Vegetables for Vegetable Broth

Gluten-Free Corn Pudding (or Use All Purpose Flour for the Traditional Version)

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Gluten-Free Corn Pudding

Gluten-Free Corn Pudding

I’ve been tweaking, experimenting, tweaking, planning, and re-tweaking favorite and new recipes for the upcoming holidays.  In our family, real joy is found around the dining room table (holidays, special days, any days….), so I put the utmost thought and planning into the food we’ll be gathered around.

Like most families, we have our traditional favorites that make their appearance on their perspective holidays, but I also love to try new dishes and desserts to keep my adored ones on their adorable toes. I’ve been experimenting with corn pudding the past few months because everyone loves corn and, let’s face it, it’s a must-have for Thanksgiving.

Before I had to give up wheat and gluten, my go to corn pudding called for a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix (recipe). I’ve been trying since to come up with a recipe to rival that delicious recipe. The one below is as delicious, it’s just different, you know?

I’ll post future corn pudding recipes as well as other side-dish, bread (gluten-free, of course) and desserts here on the food blog in the coming weeks.

After all, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it!

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Gluten-Free Corn Pudding

Gluten-Free Corn Pudding

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Corn (canned, drained or frozen, thawed)
  • 4 TBS Gluten-Free Flour (or All Purpose, if not going the gluten-free route)
  • 1 TBS Butter, melted
  • 3 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 2 Eggs, Well Beaten
  • 2 Cups Whole Milk
  • Paprika (optional)

Instructions

  1. Mix the corn, flour, salt, pepper, and sugar together in a medium bowl. Be sure the clumps of flour dissolve into the mixture.
  2. Combine the well-beaten eggs, melted butter, and milk in a separate bowl. Stir well.
  3. Combine both of these mixtures together and pour into a butter-greased baking dish.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. During the first 30 minutes, stir the mixture a few times - being sure to stir upward from the bottom. You want to be sure to incorporate all of the pudding together so it doesn't over-brown on the bottom. Using a wooden spoon is best.
  5. The pudding is usually ready after cooking for 1 hour, even. To check, use the knife inserted in the middle trick - when it comes out clean, it's ready to come out of the oven.
  6. Optional: Dust the top with a little paprika.


150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Cookbook

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Is anyone even half as ready for autumn and winter as I am? Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things about summer – baseball, fresh produce, songbirds at my bird feeders that aren’t there in cold weather, grilling out, and so on. Summer’s awesome in every way… but, having said that, autumn and winter are super special.

As a foodie, the cooler months make me think of soup, stew, chili, casseroles, chai tea lattes, and (of course) Halloween goodies, Thanksgiving dishes, and Christmas baking… how could a foodie NOT love this time of year???

I may be one of the biggest soup fanatics in the world, which is one of the reasons I’m excited about a new cookbook I was sent to review: 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Naturally, grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect all year. We certainly eat them year-round in our house. In fact, we’ve been known to enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches at all times of the day and night.  Talk about a delicious comfort food.  Cheesy deliciousness that comes together pretty darn fast – sign me up.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is a perfect guide to getting extra creative with this wonderful comfort food.  Although the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich dates back to 1920 (when it became popular during the great depression, for obvious reasons), these delicious and inexpensive delicacies are currently a popular trend in cooking.  I think one of the reasons is the fact that they aren’t expensive to pull together.  I think the popularity of food trucks has also helped revive this wonderful sandwich.

Some people are even calling the grilled cheese sandwich the “new burger.”  The fact that so many people are eating less meat is another reason these sandwiches are so wildly popular.

From the Back Cover: A grilled cheese sandwich is classic comfort food and it’s enjoying an incredible resurgence in popularity. These fabulous recipes all begin with the grilled cheese we all know and love, and then from there, creative twists showcase just how incredibly versatile this sandwich can be.  The recipes reflect an almost endless and delicious variety of choices that include simple and timeless as well as gourmet and artisanal. From breakfast to dessert, there’s something for everyone in this book.

Another reason grilled cheese sandwiches are so popular is, let’s face it, they’re fast and easy to make.  You can have a warm, delicious, and comforting meal in a matter of minutes. This is one of the reasons they’re so popular with bachelors, college students, and beginner cooks.

Whether you enjoy your grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (one of my favorite meals), chips, or alone, nothing beats a great grilled cheese sandwich.

As I’ve probably mentioned on the food blog, when I had to totally give up wheat and gluten a number of years ago (health reasons), it threw my cooking persona into a tailspin. Imagine everything you are accustomed to cooking and baking for your family and yourself thrown out the door. Then finding yourself having to start over, pretty much, and discover a whole new way of both cooking and eating.

BUMMER!

It’s a hideous predicament for anyone but for an avid cook and food blogger who was extra keen on homemade breads, cornbread, cakes from scratch, pies, etc.. it knocked me on my backside for a bit. However, I (honestly) found out that many aspects of gluten-free food are actually as good as their gluten-y counterparts and some are even better in many ways.

For example, for whatever reasons, gluten-free fried catfish is actually better.  Don’t ask me why (please), but the combo of rice flour and yellow cornmeal makes the best fried catfish in the world. Trust me, this is a personal favorite and something I’ve been cooking since I was allowed to touch the stove.

Grilled cheese sandwiches have been another pleasant surprise (along with French Toast, for that matter). Gluten-Free bread, in my opinion, makes them even better. I think it’s because they’re denser and, sometimes, thicker, than regular bread. Then again, Texas Toast is a great way to go with grilled cheese sandwiches.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches includes so many creative, fun, and delicious recipes you won’t stop until you’ve made them all.  The cheese combinations, along with the additions of complimentary ingredients will boggle your mind.  I cook every single day (and have for years) and consider myself to be really creative in the kitchen, but even I found myself saying, “Ooooh, I would’ve never thought of that...”  One of the combinations that was wildly new to me was the one given in the recipe below.  I wouldn’t have ever invited Muenster Cheese to a grilled cheese party, but this recipe has me slapping myself for the oversight.

The recipe below is from the cookbook and is outstanding. I love it alongside tomato soup or chili and have been known to have it simply with a large dill pickle and Funyons.

I know how to live, after all.

Classic Grilled Two Cheese

Author: Alison Lewis
Serves 4

8 slices white or whole-grain bread (1/2 inch/1 cm thick slices)
2 TBS butter or margarine, softened
4 oz Muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Brush one side of each bread slice with butter.
  2. Place on a work surface, buttered side down.
  3. Top 4 bread slices equally with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.
  4. Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up, and press gently.
  5. Place sandwiches on preheated panini grill or in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
  6. Serve immediately.

When it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, you have to really be careful with cheese combinations. Make the wrong move and the result will be thisclose to gross. You also have to be careful with what fillings you add and how you treat the bread. Again, the wrong move can leave your taste buds borderline depressed.  In this wonderful and fun cookbook, Alison Lewis has done all of the hard work for us and taken all of the guess work out of our hands.  We’re left with a ton of delicious recipes and combinations that’ll make us the Queen or King of Grilled Cheese.  Whether you use a Panini or Sandwich Press or a favorite skillet, you WILL use these recipes again and again and again.

Below are just some of the recipes included in 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

  • Roast Beef with Asiago and Watercress
  • Grilled Steak and Blue Cheese
  • Italian Tomato-Basil Bread
  • Hot Bacon Swiss Crostini
  • Havarti and Cucumber Sandwich
  • Grilled Spinach, Pepper Jack, and Bacon
  • Warm Peanut Butter Power Wrap
  • Italian Salami Panini
  • Sweet Pepper Relish
  • Hummus
  • The Pilgrim
  • And many, many, many more.

See 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for more information and to order your copy today… just in time for soup season!


Adorable Pig Wall Hanging from Kirkland’s – Too Cute!

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FrankenPig

See my buddy above? FrankenPig? I’m totally in love with him and don’t mind you knowing it. My youngest daughter and son-in-law gave me this adorable wall hanging a few weeks ago… a “just because we love you and we’re awesome people” gift. They know how much I’m obsessed with both pigs and this time of year – so they thought of me when they saw it.

At least that’s why I assume they thought of me. Hmmm….

Anyway, I know I have a lot of fellow pig lovers and collectors that visit the food blog, so I wanted to show him to you. They bought it at Kirkland’s here in Owensboro, but your local Kirkland’s may have one too.

I checked Kirkland’s website and couldn’t find him BUT they have a ton of other pig lovelies. Just enter pig in the search box and prepare to say, “So long!” to your money.

Or is that just me? 

EASY Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes (Using Canned Yams Makes it as Simple as Possible)

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Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes 3

There are quite a few “staples” I keep in the kitchen at all times. Make that AT ALL TIMES – all caps because running out of them would make send me NERVOUS. Obviously salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice, miniature peppers, Italian herbs, bacon, white wine vinegar, eggs, butter, and honey make the list. But a few things may not seem quite as obvious: chipotle peppers in adobo, orange marmalade, Classico brand pesto, smoked gouda cheese, Tamari sauce, and Worcestershire Sauce to name a few. Each, in various situations, add depths of flavor that rock my world.

Take chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, for example – the smoky flavor is just addictive as far as I’m concerned. You have to, obviously, go easy with the peppers because they do pack a whallop.

But OH! How I love that whallop!

I’ve found that the adobo sauce can be paired with countless foods. It plays beautifully with just about anything you introduce it to, but one of my favorite ways to us it is with one of my favorite foods in the world – sweet potatoes. By the way, did you know that all so-called “yams” are in fact sweet potatoes? Whatever you choose to call them, they’re out of this world delicious.

Here’s the amazing thing, even if you aren’t as in love with sweet potatoes as I am, Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes will knock your socks off. Trust me.

The fact that this recipe uses canned yams makes it faster AND easier, and who doesn’t appreciate that?

{Recipe Below}

Yams and Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

There really isn’t enough to this dish to warrant calling it a recipe, so I’ll just walk you through the process.  If you think you’ll require more (or less) mashed sweet potatoes, adjust the number of cans and butter accordingly.

I use either two large cans of Bruce’s Yams (40 oz) or one large Bruce’s Yams can and two 15 oz yams cans. The exact measurements, here, isn’t terribly important. A few ounces here or there isn’t going to ruin your day.

One thing I’m a sticler about, however, is my Chipotles in Adobo Sauce. I always use the same brand – La Costena. I love it so much I wouldn’t even glance at another brand.

Place your cans of undrained sweet potatoes in a large pan. Add three of the chipotle peppers to the pan and simmer on low. You could, of course, crank up the heat and cut your time in half, but letting them simmer for about 30 minutes on low gives the chipotles time to flavor the sweet potatoes. Smells pretty amazing, too.

When you’re ready to mash the potatoes, drain and remove the peppers. Place hot, drained sweet potatoes in a bowl and add 1-1/4 sticks of butter (if using unsalted butter, add a little Kosher salt at this point) and 2 TBS of the crazy delicious adobo sauce.

Note: Start with 1 TBS, then taste. Some people are more sensitive to heat than others and 1 TBS is about their limit. IF you can take the heat, go ahead and add the second TBS. If, after tasting it at this point, you want even more…. add more. Go for broke!

I also finely chop up a little bit of one of the chipotles to add to the bowl as well. Again, take it easy – these guys are spirited,

Use a potato masher and mash the potatoes until you achieve the consistency you love.

This makes an absolutely delicious and easy side dish for chicken, pork, steak… you name it. In fact, it has so much flavor and depth, it’s ideal for Meatless meals.

Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Sous Vide Turkey – The Way to Get a Perfectly Moist Turkey Every Time

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If you’ve been paying attention to food trends lately, you’ve very likely heard of sous-vide, even if you’re not completely sure what it is. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to try the sous vide cooking method.

That’s because undeniably, poultry is where sous-vide shines. Unlike red meat, which can be eaten with a gradient of done-ness so the outside is gray and the inside is pink, with poultry, you need to cook it through. With a larger cut, like turkey breast, it’s impossible to cook the inside without overcooking the outside. Sous vide allows the entire piece of turkey to cook at the same time, so it’s completely, perfectly done. It‘s amazingly flavorful and never, ever dry!

Don’t let the name intimidate you. Sous-vide (soo-veed) means ‘under vacuum,’ a reference to the way food is packed before you cook it using this method. The equipment used to cook the food is called an immersion circulator, so you’d properly say, “I’m cooking this delicious turkey sous-vide,” not “I’m cooking this delicious turkey in the sous-vide.” But I digress. Why are people going crazy for sous-vide cooking? And should you jump on the bandwagon?

The premise behind sous-vide is actually simple. In traditional cooking methods such as dry heat (baking, roasting, broiling, frying, searing) or moist heat (boiling, braising, poaching, simmering), the goal is to get the center of the food cooked to the temperature that you want it to be.

Unlike grilling, here’s how sous-vide works:

Season your food (or even add a marinade or sauce) and place it in the bag you’ll be cooking in. You can invest in a vacuum sealer or just use Ziploc® bags (Brand name bags seems to leak less).

To vacuum seal with a zip top bag, place the item in the bag, then keep the zip top open and lower the bag into the water immersion circulator. Allow the water to press the bag closed, and lower it in until just below the zipper, so all the air is now pressed out. Then, zip the top and remove the bag from the water bath.

Bring the water in the circulator to the temperature that you want your food to be, and then place the bag back in the water bath with the immersion circulator. Cook it for a predetermined time, then remove from the bag and pat dry. The sous-vide cooker circulates water around the pot. The circulation prevents hot and cool spots from forming in the water to ensure even temperature throughout your food. Your food never overcooks. It’s just how you like it, every time.

Note that there are several types and brands of precision immersion cookers ranging in price from about $119 – $169. Many can be controlled remotely via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Kosher.com will review several brands, prices and other accessories in future episodes.

If you already own an immersion circulator or plan to purchase one in time for Turkey day, try this great recipe from Michal Frischman for Kosher.com.

Sous Vide Lemon Herb Turkey

Sous Vide Lemon Herb Turkey

SOUS VIDE LEMON HERB TURKEY

1 2-pound (1-kilogram) boneless, skinless turkey breast, sometimes known as turkey London broil (see note)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh
1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspooon salt
2 tablespoons flour

Mix the honey, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and pepper. Place the turkey in a heavy-duty ziplock bag or in a vacuum sealer bag. Add marinade to the bag. For a ziplock, submerge the bag in a bowl of water until just below the opening of the bag so the air is squeezed out, then seal the bag. For a vacuum sealer, set the machine to wet seal.

Place the turkey in a sous-vide set to 143°F (62°C). Cook for four hours or up to eight hours.

When ready to serve, heat oil and flour in a small saucepan. Stir well and cook for one minute. Add the juices from inside the turkey bag and whisk until no clumps remain. Slice the turkey thinly and serve with gravy on the side.

Note: You can follow the same time and temperature for any size turkey you would like to use.

Variation: To cook in the oven, keep the skin on and bone in. Bake at 375°F (180°C) for about an hour or until the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (70°C). Remove and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes

About Kosher.com
Kosher.com is the premier site for kosher cooking and conversation and the place to go for all things kosher food. Less than a year old but a rising star on the kosher food scene, it has thousands of top-quality kosher recipes, articles, tips, and entertaining shows. The site is the ultimate platform for the most diverse collection of kosher recipes.

Check out the kosher.com ongoing cooking series, where they will address choosing the right times and temperatures in sous-vide cooking for a range of different foods, and much more.

You can also rely on recipes for sous-vide at www.kosher.com, at many other online resources, and on the app your immersion circulator is linked to. Over time, you will likely want to experiment and come up with recipes on your own.

Stay tuned for the entire sous-vide series only at Kosher.com. They will have you cooking like a professional chef in no time!

And, you won’t want to miss this Sous Vide Video (http://www.kosher.com/shows/video/155/two-easy-ways-to-start-cooking-next-level-ribeye) –  Watch Chef Gabe on Episode 6 of ‘Under the Hood’, only on Kosher.com. Chef Gabe takes two cuts of ribeye to the next level with his seasoning and cooking techniques. Watch as he sous vides then sears the eye of the ribeye, or Spencer Steak, and then perfectly sears a ribeye crescent. These two ribeye ideas are sure to make your next steak a winner.


2017 America’s Favorite Halloween Candy (Interactive State by State Map)

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Can you even believe Halloween is so close?! Blows my mind just how fast time passes. I’m actually pretty bummed about it because I LOVE this time of year (September – January) SO much that I want it to crawl at a snail’s pace. Unfortunately, it runs at a cougar’s pace and is over before you know what hit you.

Halloween (the first “holiday” of the stretch) is just days away and candy is on all our minds! The fun interactive map below will show you each state’s favorite Halloween candy. Simply hover your cursor over your state to see the favorite candy for your area.

Source: CandyStore.com.

If you’re unable to see a large enough version of this map, click through the link above for a much, much larger map.


Recipe for National Apple Month: Apple Flax Muffins (Gluten-Free)

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Apple Flax Muffins

 

The beautiful and delicious Apple Flax Muffins, pictured above, are IDEAL for autumn.. especially given the fact that this is National Apple Month! I can’t get enough of apples, so this is a favorite favorite apple recipe. Each bite is bursting with apple flavor.

Apple Flax Muffins with Carrington Farms Flax Seed

1 and 1/4 cup Carrington Farms Organic Milled Flax Seed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar or sweetener
4 large eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup liquid (syrup or water)
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 medium apple, chopped fairly finely
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 12-muffin tin very well. Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the rest of them. Let batter stand 10 minutes, then put into the muffin pan and bake for about 18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and muffins just barely start to pull away from the sides of the tin. *Makes 12 to 24 muffins depending on your preference.

Recipe and Photo Credit: Carrington Farms

 

Gorgeous Halloween Tablecloth and Matching Napkins

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Halloween Tablecloth
Halloween Tablecloth

I get as excited about holidays and big events as any child could ever hope to.  I go all out with the different seasons and holidays when it comes to decorating our house – especially the kitchen. I guess that’s because it’s where I spend most of my time. Might as well be festive!

About a year ago I fell head over heels in love with setting the dining room table with placemats, seasonal napkins, and seasonal centerpieces.  I love that it always looks beautiful – when our cats consent to leave things as they are, that is.

While I normally have placemats and napkins, I do love the occasional tablecloth. When I saw the gorgeous Halloween Tablecloth (pictured above), I knew full well what our table would be wearing from September 1 to October 31. What’s equally delicious is the fact that matching napkins are also available – you find them on the same page the tablecloth is on.

You can also find black spiderweb placemats to go on the tablecloth (similar to the ones pictured at the top). So much loveliness I can hardly stand it.

Then again, you could go with regular black placemats, which could then be used at other times during the year.

I also love the Kitchen Towel Set below. Because I am a prototypical crazy cat lady, I’m showing the black cat version (come on, how could I not?) but there is also an adorable pumpkin and a great looking witch towel – it’s green with witch-y legs and a hat at the top. Darn cute.

The cat and the pumpkin go especially well with the tablecloth set.

I have so much shopping to do…


Black Cat Towel


Baked Potatoes with a Salty Crust Make PERFECT Loaded Baked Potatoes

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Loaded Salt Crusted Baked Potato
Loaded Baked Potato (Salt-Crusted)
True Story: I love baked potatoes so much you’d think I invented them. In fact, I love ALL potatoes so much you’d think I founded the beautiful state of Idaho.

I wish I had founded Idaho – what a cool story to tell your grandkids.

Potatoes are the very reason I lasted all of 2 hours when testing the waters of the Paleo diet. It just kind of hit me, “No potatoes? No way. I’m out.” Never looked back.

Salt Crusted Baked Potatoes
Salt-Crusted Baked Potatoes
While I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, I have to say that if you aren’t baking your potatoes in the oven, you’re short-changing yourself. Can you nuke them in a microwave? Yes. If you put enough butter and sour cream on top, are they passable? Absolutely. However, a baked potato straight from the oven is next level.

I can understand the argument of not wanting to heat up your kitchen. I can also see nuking them if time is an issue. If (at 4:30) you decide you want a baked potato with supper (at 5:00), you don’t have a choice… unless, of course, it’s the world’s skinniest and smallest potato – then you might have a shot.

See: Perfect Baked Potatoes in the Oven

Again, at the risk of ruffling feathers (What’s with me today? Girl, hands off people’s feathers.), if you wrap your potatoes in foil, you are actually “steaming” them more than you are “baking” them. If you prefer them that particular way – go for it! However, next time, try baking them (without wrapping them in foil blankets) and see what you think about the texture of a truly baked potato.

Salt-Crusted Baked Potatoes

While a good old-fashioned baked potato (without a “salty’ attitude) is all kinds of delicious, adding a salty crust somehow makes it extraordinary. It looks fancy and high-brow  too, which never turns me off.

The following recipe (below the beauty on the St. Louis Cardinals red plate) is for “Salt-Crusted Baked Potatoes with Kosher Salt.” This version of a salt-crusted potato calls for an all-over salty crust (trust me, it does not taste too salty – you just wouldn’t want to add any more to the top – unless you’re one of those rare birds that don’t eat the potato skin, that is). If you still (even after my multiple pleadings) think this is too much salt, simply only salt one part of the potato.

* Whispers in your ear: “It will not be too salty.”

I often use another means of coating the potato with salt which involves coarse Kosher salt (I use Morton Coarse Kosher Salt)- and trust me, it looks gorgeous. You don’t add as much salt to a sea salt-crusted baked potato. In fact, when making baked potatoes with coarse sea salt, I don’t rub them in the salt, I simply pat it on – pushing in very lightly.

Loaded Salt Crusted Baked Potato
When turning your baked potatoes into Loaded Baked Potatoes, the following toppings are, in my book, the way to go:

  • Real butter – always, always, always use real butter (in just about everything actually, but especially with a baked potato.. it wouldn’t deserve any less).
  • Sour Cream.
  • Shredded Cheddar (Gouda is also out of this world).
  • BACON. BAAAAY-CON! If you know you’re having baked potatoes for supper, make extra bacon at breakfast. Otherwise, just fry some up while the potatoes are cooking.
  • Chives or chopped green onions.
  • Sauteed mushrooms are also great on loaded baked potatoes. Saute’ sliced mushrooms in a little butter and add them with the other ingredients.
  • Briefly sauteed broccoli (in butter) is also great on a really cheesy baked potato.

One more tip from the potato fiend: Save any leftover baked potatoes for the next day. Leftover potatoes is main reason I only prepare (as in cut open and butter it to distraction) potatoes as they go right onto the plate. Others are left untouched on the stove. The following morning, a leftover baked potato can be warmed and topped with butter, a fried egg, and bacon for a fantastic breakfast or brunch. If several are leftover, scoop out the flesh and mash it with a little butter and sour cream. Fill the potato skin with the mixture, top with shredded cheddar and bake at 350 degrees until warm all the way through. Top as desired (bacon, green onions or chives, black pepper….)

One more idea and I promise I’m through – Sloppy Joes on an open baked potato. Trust me.

Okay, the potato fanatic is through.

For today…

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Baked Potatoes with a Salty Side

Baked Potatoes with a Salty Side

Ingredients

  • Russet Potatoes
  • Olive Oil
  • Coarse Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Toppings

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash and dry the potatoes.
  3. Place the olive oil in a dish and the kosher salt on a plate. How much of each? Here's a guide to go by: For each 2 Russet potatoes, use 1/8 cup oil and 1/8 cup Kosher salt. 4 potatoes = 1/4 of each.
  4. Does it have to be Kosher salt? Yes, please. It's the salt I have always used for salt-crusted baked potatoes, so I cannot say how another salt will behave.
  5. Using a pastry brush (I'm all about my silicone pastry brush), brush each potato well with olive oil.
  6. Roll each oiled potato in the salt. Coat well - do not worry about them being "too salty." They will be divine - I promise.
  7. Pierce the top of the potatoes with a fork a couple of times.
  8. Bake for 45-60 minutes. It really depends upon the size of your potatoes.
  9. You can test for doneness one of two ways: Use an oven mitt to give the potato a slight little squeeze. If there’s a bit of “give,” the potato is done. If there’s no “give,” return it to the oven.
  10. You can also take the potato's temperature - the internal temperature should be 210 degrees F.
  11. To check baked potatoes with a fork or knife, simply insert your tool of choice. You want it to "go in" without resistance. Me? I always use the oven mitt test.
  12. Cut your potatoes open, but not until you're ready to serve/eat them. Don't cut all the way through - just enough to pack with butter (I pack mine like you wouldn't believe).
  13. Add a little fresh black pepper. If you coated the baked potatoes with salt, you don't need to add any more salt at this point - unless you're one of those rare birds who don't eat the potato's skin. If that's the case, you'll definitely want to salt the inside of the potato.